


When the Time Runs Out

by Jeniouis



Series: Howard Stark Centered Fics [13]
Category: Avengers (2012), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Car Accident, Death of a Spouse, F/M, Good Father!Howard, Neglect, Single parenthood, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 07:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2182536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeniouis/pseuds/Jeniouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is a fickle thing. Like a candle, the flicker could be blown out at any time.<br/>Howard learned that the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the Time Runs Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jaz_kat_silver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaz_kat_silver/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Clock Never Stops Running](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1818682) by [Jaz_kat_silver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaz_kat_silver/pseuds/Jaz_kat_silver). 



> Big shoutout and thanks to [Jaz_kat_silver](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaz_kat_silver/pseuds/Jaz_kat_silver) for letting her fic inspire me and for letting me post this story. I hope you like it :) :D.

Howard Stark was a busy man. He worked long days full of business meetings, negotiations, weapon designing, and several other important matters he didn’t even remember until he saw what his secretary scratched into his schedule.

His wife hated it. Maria would nag him day and night, telling him to come home and be with his family. Begging him to spend some time with Tony. And Howard would one day. But now, he had work to do. Of course he loved his wife. He especially loved Tony. And soon, very soon, he’ll be able to take a break and spend some time with his family but right now he needed to improve the world. It was broken and he wanted it to be somewhat fixed by the time Tony was grown.

Besides, he always had time. When he was older and retired, when he didn’t have so much to do, he could spend time with Tony; he and Maria can do some of the things they used to do. They can be married again.

  
It wasn’t until his faithful car, the one he had been driving for years, started going faster than what he was operating it to; it wasn’t until he couldn’t get the steering wheel to turn even as he kept trying with all his might; it wasn’t until the car kept veering into oncoming traffic that he realized that life was a fickle thing. Like a candle, the flicker could be blown out at any time. It wasn’t until he looked over at his fearful wife did he realize that they would never have a chance to be the married couple he wanted them to be; he will never get a chance to spend time with his son.

He had a whole lifetime and he wasted it on useless things.  
The company, his work, all those meetings, they were useless.  
He had wasted his whole life.

Howard leaned over and hugged his wife just as a truck rammed into their car. He whispered I love you in her ear just before he felt an explosion of pain and everything went black.

It was over.

~

Pain. That’s all Howard felt as he came too. A hell of a lot of pain. It was nearly unbearable. But luckily for him, consciousness didn’t last long as he drifted back out.

~

“Dad. Can you hear me?” Howard heard a soft, far off voice ask him. He was still in so much pain but it seemed slightly deadened now. Howard struggled to open his eyes but he managed it with great pain. He saw the blurred shape of what could be his son but the height, this kid had to be fourteen or fifteen. Was Tony that old? Already? Howard felt a gentle hand slip into his.

“Dad?” Tony said again. Howard just realized that he couldn’t talk. There was a tube in his mouth and down his throat. He desperately wanted to rip it out. More than that he wanted to hug Tony but he couldn’t move his arms or hands too much. So he settle for squeezing Tony’s hand. His son immediately called the nurse, telling her he was responsive. She came in Howard’s room to check on him. Howard looked at her and nodded slightly when she asked a few questions but he was drifting off again, Howard could tell. But that was fine. Howard would take unconsciousness any day compared to dead. And he was just so grateful; Howard could spend time with his family now. He can take Maria shopping sometime now; he can play catch with Tony or rather they can build something together now.

Howard had time now and he definitely wasn’t going to waste it this time.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it. :D
> 
> Please leave feedback and feel free to criticize; I am always looking for opportunities to grow.
> 
> I’ve launched an E-Zine where people submit their favorite fics and the best ones get published in the zine. I’m doing this because I want to create something that acknowledges fanfic writers and makes them feel confident about themselves while bringing people of different fandoms together. To submit your favorite fics, go [Here](https://goo.gl/forms/h0LI8s7WGgZV2gBl1)


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